


Eden Calling

by hermitessqueens



Category: Original Work
Genre: Copywrite Enabled, Multi, Original work - Freeform, Vampires, Witch - Freeform, Witches, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:27:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23536036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermitessqueens/pseuds/hermitessqueens
Summary: Vera Hayes has lived in Eden all of her life. Idyllic and beautiful, Eden is hiding a secret. It's a hub for the supernatural. The councils of magical creatures find their way there, after learning of a mistake. Vera gets wrapped up into a romance with a Vampire on the run from the Vampire Council for a mistake he didn't make. With Vera's soul on the line, can Davien and their friends save Eden, or will Eden break? (Posted here & on Wattpad. Updated sporadically.)





	1. Prologue

Over five thousand years ago the vampire council was formed. In that council, there are twenty-two various species of vampire. Some are born, some are made. Master vampire to fledgling. The job of the council is to make sure all vampires do not get out of hand, and the supernatural world ends up discovered by humans. Thus, they have developed a code with four simple rules. One: don't cross a master vampire. Two: don't make an enemy of the werewolves. Three: made vampires, do not make other vampires. The Council will know if this happens. Four: leave witches to their own kind. Do not fall in love with one, they could kill you with their blood alone. These four simple rules should be easy enough to follow. Vampires are given three chances. Should they find themselves before the council on their final chance, they'll be awaiting execution.


	2. Chapter One Vera - Just a dream.

I didn't know where in the woods I happened to be, all I knew was that I was lost in them. I found myself before a giant apple tree. It was incredibly old, like the one in the center of town. Gnarled limbs bearing fruit stretched out to me. I reached for the fruit before I could stop myself. Grasping an apple in my hands, I tugged it from the tree, staring at the bright red skin. I was then distracted from the tree, and there was a light in the distance. The apple fell from my grasp before I could bring it to my lips. The light beckoned me closer. It was so blinding I couldn't see for a moment. Suddenly, I was knocked onto my back; the air pushed from my lungs. A weight settled above me, pressing a hand against my mouth so that I couldn't scream. My eyes flew open wide and stared directly into the cold blue-grey ones of a man. "You shouldn't be here." He whispers, his long black hair obscuring his features, his voice doesn't sound quite right. He sounded far away. There was a crack in his voice, "Vera, you're in danger..."

I shot up in bed, clutching my sheets as the alarm clock beside me went off. I reached over and shut it off, trying to catch my breath. What the hell was that? I was shaking as I slid from bed slowly, in turn, grabbing the closest thing I could find to wear for the day. Heading toward the bathroom, I passed my mother in the hallway. She was tall, beautiful, dressed in white, wearing the latest pantsuit from her favorite designer. The contrast between the white and her brown skin made her pop into focus. She was still the prettiest woman I knew. No one could quite compare to my mom.

"Vera, did you remember to put your parking pass in your car?" She asked as I shuffled past her, "Yes, mom." I wanted to be a brat and remind her that I was her responsible child. Perhaps, ask her if she told James as she did me, but I thought better of it. I looked into the mirror when I entered the bathroom. That dream must have really shaken me up because my hair was a wreck. The silk scarf and pins that usually secured the mass of curls at night was only halfway on my head as if I had tugged on it. I got dressed for the day, being careful as I put a shirt on over my hair. Then I took the pins out of my hair and started to work on fixing it as much as I could.

A knock on the bathroom door startled me, "Gwenivera! Come out of there already! We gotta get a move on, or we're going to be late." It was my brother, my twin actually, impatiently tapping on the door. I opened it to look at him, and he grimaced, "Sorry, rough night? Too much studying? I told you that studying all that Mythology would get to you one day."

"I just had a bad dream, that's all. I'll see you downstairs in a minute. Did you remember to buy your parking pass?" As I reminded him of his responsibilities, he slapped his forehead, "Shit, I knew I forgot something." I frowned before shrugging. "I guess we're taking my car, but you owe me gas." He grinned, before ruffling my hair with his large hand, "That's fine, Sis. See you downstairs."

"Jameson Alexander Hayes!" I growled at him, turning back toward the mirror to fix my appearance again. James laughed at me before running out of the room and bounding down the stairs, "Hurry up!" He often tries to rush me. He had it easy, his curls were effortless, perfect, a mixture of our mother's natural texture and our father's waves. I was the one that had not only our mother's natural texture, and our father's hair, but something else entirely as well. I gave up, brushed my teeth, and headed downstairs.

Sitting at the table with a large cup of coffee, my dad fiddled with the newspaper. His thick blonde waves fell just past his ears, with his blue eyes, he looked up at me, "Good Morning, Gwenivera." His gruff voice greets before a smile pulls at the edges of his lips. "Hi, Daddy." I kiss his cheek before snagging a piece of toast off his plate. "I gotta go, tell mom I'll see her after class." I rush outside, backpack in hand. James was kicking a rock on the passenger side of my car, "You took forever, and your hair still looks the same." I rolled my eyes at him before sliding into the tiny black coup. I reached over and unlocked the passenger side door before starting the engine. "Har Har, James. Har, Har. How are you and Cami?" I question, lifting my brow at him slightly as we pull out of the driveway. He practically had to fold himself up into a pretzel to get into the small car, but he doubled over slightly when I brought up his girlfriend. There's a grin that tugs on his lips. He's teasing. "That is not your business, Vera, just drive."

About ten minutes later, we arrived at Eden University. Our home town of Eden was an average college town. The kids partied on weekends. Everyone knew each other. If you grew up here, it was almost certain you were going to go to college here. It was cheaper than going to another school. Mom made sure of that. Patricia, my mom, was our local mayor. She worked tirelessly to make sure the school was virtually free for the students that grew up in Eden. It kept people living in the town and kept the student population up after high school. Most of my friends even stayed in town because of it.

I parked the car toward the back of the lot and looked at my brother, "Okay, pay up, I don't want you to forget later and spend all your money on some video games when you're with your friends." James looked insulted at the very thought but pulled out twenty dollars and passed it to me with a laugh. "Fine, but really when has that ever happened." I was about to give him a list when a motorcycle slid into the stall beside me. The bike was huge, but what caught my eye was the guy climbing off of it. I could just see his eyes for a moment from behind the visor of his helmet. They reminded me of the ones from my dream. I attempted to shake it off, grabbing my backpack from the trunk and ignoring the sound of leather scraping against metal. My brother's laugh drew me out of my thoughts as we walked through the parking lot.

"CAMI!" He called as an auburn-haired girl with wild curls looking up from the trunk of her car. "James, Vera! Hey! How was your summer break?" Cami approached us, falling into step beside my brother. She's average height, with a style that someone could call a mixture of hippie and lazy all in one. She was currently draped in a maxi dress that could have been her pajamas from last night. She had dyed part of her hair recently because there were fragments of bright pink within the curls. "We spent it at home mostly. What about you, Cami?" James piped up. I gave her space to talk about what she did, not really listening, as I observed the campus coming into view.

Eden University is large, boasting a campus that sprawled a little over five hundred acres. As a Classics major, we were on the northwest side of the college, including the library. My brother grinned at me as we split off from one another. He fell into step with Cami, tossing his arm around her waist, "Don't worry about driving me home, see you later sis." I waved him off before walking into the direction of my first class. As I approached the building, I noticed the bright purple hair of a girl leaning against the art building.

"Hey, Juniper." I attempted to smile at her. She was my best friend in High School. **_Was_** being the key term. We had fallen out a few months after graduation. I never really understood why. Unfortunately for me, we had most of our classes together, no matter what. We were both majoring in Classical Studies. "Gwendolyn, how was your summer? Let me guess you stayed here and helped your mom with paperwork? I went to Europe." Lanky and tall, with classic European features, Juniper was beautiful. Her narcissism, however, was grating on my nerves. She followed into the building behind me, tossing a purple strand behind her ear. I didn't pay her too much attention, as she talked on and on about where she went. I slid into a seat near the middle of the classroom. Juniper surprisingly didn't slide into the one beside me, as she noticed her friend toward the back, abruptly ending our conversation. Fine by me, as long as I didn't have to hear about France again. I was about to look up to see if our Professor was here, when I noticed in the corner, he seemed to have a new T.A.

He was looking over the class list on a clipboard. It was almost unnerving the way his blue-grey eyes looked from student to student. Finally, his eyes landed on me. His brow raised as if he was going to call me forward when Professor Giles Evans entered the room. "Mr. Montagna, would you call the roll? I'll get the PowerPoint set up." The T.A. shrugged off his jacket, and it was then that I saw just how many tattoos he was covered in. He stood at about six-two, maybe six-three, the boots he wore added an inch or so. His hair was a long dark black curtain that hung to his mid-back. His body looked lean and muscular, the sleeves of his t-shirt cut into his biceps. His otherwise pale skin was covered in inky black tattoos. I couldn't quite get a good look at them, because he was far away from me. He was—Attractive. I couldn't be distracted, though. Not by good looks, not by an aesthetic that I liked, not by anything or anyone. This was my final year of college, I had too much on my plate, to be distracted by a guy. "Gwenivera Hayes." He called my name, and I smiled. "It's Vera, and here, thanks." He grinned before he spoke, making my eyes widen a bit. It was a handsome smile. Award-winning, really. "Vera. I'll make a note of that." The roll continued, other people piping up with their nicknames until everyone answered.

Beside me, a girl with long blonde hair and grey eyes reached over, tapping me on the arm. "Hi, I'm Liliya. Would you mind if I borrow a pen? I've looked all over and..." I handed her one without hesitation. "Sure, I'm Vera." She smiled gently, tapping the pen on the desk, "I'll return it to you after class." I gave her a soft smile before I looked up at the Professor and his lecture. "Now, Mythology 300. We're going to jump right into it. Vrykolakas, The Greek Vampire. These vampires are thought to be created by dying a certain way and being buried without a coin for the god Charon." I followed along carefully, taking notes all the while. He mentioned that the Vampires we discussed in our previous mythology courses, the differences between them. He said that werewolves were also a part of the mythos and then witches. I was curious for him to discuss witches more, but time was not on our side today, the door opened, and the next Professor was about to step in. "Oh, I didn't realize you weren't done." Professor Evans gave out a soft sigh before he looked over at the other Professor with a withering gaze. "I guess I'm done now. Alright, class, don't forget to start the chapter on Werewolves tonight. Next class, we'll finish our lecture on our Vrykolakas' friends and start Werewolves! Have a great night."

I glanced upward when a pen slid into my frame of view. Liliya was standing, sleek black backpack tossed onto one shoulder, "Thanks for letting me borrow the pen, Vera. I was wondering what classes you have next." I was about to relay my classes when Juniper approached, grinning at me as she tossed her backpack onto her shoulder. "That T.A., damn, he's hot as hell. Don't you think so, Gwendolyn?" I rolled my eyes and started to place my things into my bag, "He's attractive, sure, but I'm not in this class to stare at some guy all year. I'm here to learn." It was Juniper's turn to roll her eyes at me, "Speak for yourself. At least you won't be any competition. It looks like we can finally stop sharing boyfriends!" I gritted my teeth and put the last of my things into my bag. "Gotta go, Juni, bye." I looped my arm through Liliya's and led the way away from the classroom. The door closed before I could hear what Juniper yelled at me.

I looked up at the blonde beside me and sheepishly smiled, "I'm sorry, I grabbed you without real warning. I just, I had to get out of there." A pale hand pressed against my shoulder gently, face scrunching into a bit of a scowl. "I could tell. Is she always such a bitch?" Her curse surprised me, as did the scowl that marred her features, but I nodded, "Pretty much. Anyway, I have a break before my next class, and that's Statistics." Liliya nodded, checking the clock on her phone, "I have a break too, I have 'The History of Europe' after that. Wanna grab something to eat? Oh, and the T-" She was cut off by her phone buzzing, a text message flashed on the screen before she could finish her sentence. "If we go to the campus cafe, you can meet my brother, Samuel, if you want?" I barely knew Liliya, but for whatever reason, I wanted to spend more time with her, probably because she wasn't a bitch like Juniper or my brother's girlfriend, like Cami. It was nice to spend time with someone who wasn't the two of them. Most of my best friends had graduated last year or the year before. It seemed like a chance to make some others. I nodded and followed her toward the Cafe.

The campus cafe was underneath the student lounge building. It felt more like you were going underground to get to it because of how hidden away it was. We stepped into the Cafe, and for a moment, the air caught in my lungs, it was our T.A. approaching us. Except, he smiled more? His clothes were different too. Instead of the white and black jacket he had on in our classroom, he was wearing red and blue. His hair looked - Twins. I realized. Our T.A. was a twin, like me. The twin approached us and grinned at Liliya, "Hey, sis. And you must be Vera, Liliya texted me and said you'd be taking a break with us, I'm Samuel, you can call me Sam." He held out his hand in a friendly way, and I shook it, electricity shocking my fingertips for a moment. "Ouch! Um, lovely meeting you, Sam. I'm Vera. I have Mythology with Liliya, uh, and I guess your twin is our T.A.?"

Sam grinned for a moment, pulling his hand back and running it through his hair. "Sorry, did I shock you? I've been doing that a lot lately. Anyway, yeah, Da-" He stopped short, and I turned to see why. Said twin was approaching us from where we stood. He came to stand in front of our group, a small smile curling up the corners of his lips as he stared down at me, oh, that was new. "Morning, Davien." Grey-blue eyes lift from me to his brother. "Hey Sammy, I'm starving, let's get food. After you, ladies." He directed Liliya and me toward the line.

Sharply, I whispered to her, "Why didn't you tell me he was your brother?" Liliya grinned, picking out an apple and a chocolate chip muffin, placing them both on the tray while I grabbed a banana and reached for the vegan blueberry muffins. "Well, we didn't really have a lot of time before we got here, did we? No, it's no big deal. Besides, you were the one who said you wouldn't get distracted, right?" I flushed before approaching the other cash register. Paying for my things, I let the group gravitate toward a table and sat down beside Samuel and across from Davien. It felt like the safer of the two options. I had started to nibble on my muffin when Davien spoke up. "So, Vera, right? What did you think of today's lecture? Professor Evans is my mentor. I'm curious to know what someone in the class thinks of his style." He was chewing on an apple-flavored pop tart, one leg propped against his chest as he leaned toward the table. I was about to relay how I felt about the subject of mythology in general when I heard my name.

"Vera! Up here!"


	3. Chapter Two Vera - Ordinary Life.

I looked up to see Xavier Armstong waving from the top of the staircase. When we were teenagers, we dated. He seemed to make it his life's mission to continue teasing me, even though we broke up almost five years before now. Anytime, he saw me with a guy, he would try to get my attention. His lean form stretches a bit as he tries to wave his arm even more dramatically. God, why did I date him? My gaze drifted to the rest of his group hanging their heads in shame, the guy next to Xavier, wasn't someone I knew, his dark brown gaze demanded more attention than the silly guy waving his arm off. As if on cue, Xavier slides down the railing of the staircase in a rather undignified manner and runs up beside me. He tossed his arm over my shoulder and grinned, "Hey, babe."

I stole a glance at Liliya, whose eyes widened, then narrowed slightly, "Is this your..." I cut her off before she could finish, "He's my ex from a long time ago. Who can't seem to take a hint! Get off, Xavier!" The brown-haired boy beside me moved his arm and then grinned again. "Sorry, babe. Anyway, I was hoping you'd come to meet my friend, Alistair, but I can see you're busy. Catch ya later." He pinched my cheek slightly, before getting up and strolling away as if he hadn't interrupted anything at all. Ugh! Why was I ever attracted to him in high school? His friends hadn't moved from the staircase. I caught the gaze of the tallest one that had been beside Xavier before, that must be Alistair. Sam broke the awkward silence that had settled over our little group, grabbing my attention again.

"So, Vera, I was curious about what interested you in mythology too. You were going to say?" I looked up at him and gave him a grateful smile before I launched into what we had been speaking of before. Davien interrupted me before I could finish talking about Hekate. "But don't you think, the witches are cruel? Cursing the Werewolves? Tantalizing Vampires? Playing with the hearts of mortals?" His raised brow was a challenge. One, I couldn't just ignore that easily. I swallowed the last bit of muffin on my plate before I spoke again. "Or it could be that they are protecting themselves from creatures that tried to steal from them. Or harm them in the case of Vampires. Or love them in the case of mortals. We'll never really know since they don't exist anymore. Hekate is and was worshiped as a witch goddess, and she's fascinating in the context of class, but personally, I've always loved Persephone."

Davien's laugh broke through before I could finish talking. "She's a minor goddess, why her?"

I felt my eyes narrow, and I pushed my plate away. "And yet, it was her name The Greeks refused to utter."

I got up then, smiling at the siblings assembled in front of me. "I've got to go to class. I'll see you later, Liliya." I reached for my bag, but Davien's hand stopped me. "Hey, you should have my number in case you want some help in class." I stared at him, between his terrible opinions of mythology and Juniper's instant infatuation with him, I wasn't sure, I wanted to give him my number. Something within me said, take that chance, just do it. So, I shrugged, "Give me your number, and I'll shoot you a text." He relayed the number to me quickly, and I shot him a text.

 _Vera:_ You have a terrible taste in mythology.

He looked down at his phone when the message went through, smiled softly up at me, before running a hand through his long hair. "See you later, Vera." I walked away toward my Statistics class quickly, placing my phone on silent mode. I glanced down to check the time and saw one new message. I managed to wait until class was over and opened it.

 _Davien:_ I'll have you know, my taste is excellent. I just happen to prefer Hades over his flower goddess of a wife.

I rolled my eyes. This felt like a ploy, a setup, a way for this guy I barely knew to rile me up. Unfortunately for me, it was working.

 _Vera:_ Trash opinions aside. What made you TA for Professor Evans?

I put my phone away and walked toward my car after my last class. Davien hadn't responded to my text, and I figured he wouldn't. He was just teasing before. I was about to slide into my car when I noticed Davien leaned against the motorcycle next to me. "I'm a graduate student, I TA for Evans because he's a family friend, and well, mythology has always been my favorite subject. Have a safe drive, Vera." He put his helmet on, lifting the visor to toss a wink in my direction, before speeding off on the motorcycle. I took a breath, not realizing I had been holding it and reached for my phone again. This time the screen flashed with a text message from my mother.

 _Mom:_ If you don't mind stopping by the lawyer's office to pick up the paperwork I need, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you.

She was asking me to run an errand that she would usually send to her assistant, she must be busy today. I drove to the lawyer's office, slipping into the quiet space and to the desk of their legal aid, Anya Yukino. She smiled from behind her small space and spoke softly, "Vera! Here's the paperwork your mother requested." Anya was effortlessly elegant, shoulder-length black hair tied back into a low chignon, it barely concealed her growing out sidecut, and a suit that screamed tailored fit. She leaned back slightly, glancing at the door. "We just got a new partner, it seems. Ms. Dupont or something like that."

Anya was a year older than me, and really, she was an intern for her father's law office. We had been friends in High School and still were. "Is she pretty?" I asked brow raised slightly at Anya, who instantly blushed, "Shut up, no, I mean, not in an 'Anya is interested' kind of way. Anyway, make any friends?" I relayed how my day went. Not scrimping on the details, because I knew she rather enjoyed gossip when she got a hold of it. "Wow, Juniper's such a bitch to you still! All because Xavier dated you both? That was forever ago!" I leaned against the wall and shook my head. "I know it's so childish. Anyway, I think Liliya and I are going to be good friends, the vibe I get from her is something I like, you know?"

"And what about _the hot TA_?" Anya giggled as I rolled my eyes at her.

" _The hot TA_ will be a pain in my ass, but I'll deal with it."

A beautiful blonde woman that I had never seen before peeked her head out of the office. This must be Ms. Dupont. Her smile was brilliant as she noticed me before stepping out, "I thought I heard voices. Hi, I'm Catharina Dupont. You must be Patricia's daughter?" She held her hand out to shake my own, and it was the second time in one day that I got a shock from another person's touch. "Uh, yes! I'm Vera, it's wonderful to meet you." The small talk commenced and for a brief moment, I was struck by how much she looked like my new friend. Could she possibly be Liliya's mother? She seemed to be my mom's age, so, maybe?

Catharina smiled gently before placing her hand on top of my own. "I have a daughter about your age. I'm sure if you met her, you two would be great friends, anyway. I'm going to let you go. I have to get back to my office. It was lovely meeting you, Vera." The blonde stepped back into her office, and I glanced at Anya, "She's beautiful, by the way. Anyway, I'll text you later. I've got to go." I stepped out of the law office with my mom's paperwork in hand. I got back into my car when I heard my phone ding. Davien's name flashed across the screen, but I ignored it and drove to my mom's office.

Slipping into the Mayor of Eden's back door was way too easy. Mom needed better security. I was going to tell her as much when I heard the southern accent of my grandma from behind the door. "You thought this was all over because you married Jameson? He's a good man, but sweetheart, magic does what magic does." I raised my brow and knocked on the door. My grandma was like this, always talking about stuff that didn't make sense to me. She always told me, magic flowed through the veins of our ancestors and those before them... That I shouldn't call it a myth. Of course, my mom always said she was being silly. Now, I caught the stricken look in my mom's eyes when I pushed the door open. "Mom? I brought your paperwork."

Three generations of Moses women stood in my mother's office. My grandma's warm blue eyes stood out against her dark skin. She raised her hand as if to have me come closer, the door closed behind me, without me even pushing on it to do so. She hugged me tightly, running her time-worn fingers through my hair gently. "Hello, Sweetness. How was the first day back at school?" My mom sighed exasperatedly, she walked around her desk and took the file from my hand. "I hope your day was better than mine..." She rolled her eyes before sitting back at her desk.

The contrast of us all struck me. We had the same face, but the features were different in each generation. I had my grandmother's hair, my mother's green eyes, my grandmother's nose, my mother's mouth. I could list the features we shared more than what we didn't. "My day was fine. What conversation did I interrupt, Grandma Edna?" My grandmother's eyes brightened as if to speak, but my mom spoke before her. "Nothing you need to worry about, we'll see you at home, sweetheart." She was up quicker than usual, ushering me to the door. Well, that was _unexpected._ I could tell that even as I stood outside my mom's office door, she was hiding something, and I was going to find out just what that something was.


	4. Chapter Three Davien - And The Road Goes Ever On

I got to the class of Giles Evans before him, as usual. The man would be late to his own funeral. I was earlier than usual, though, by about an hour. Sitting at the area designated for me, I started flipping through the old book I had stolen from my father's library. The ancient hieroglyphs are something only a few could read in this modern era. I had to find it. It had been weeks, the curiosity was killing me. I wasn't sure how long I had been sitting there when a voice drew my attention from the page.

"What are you reading?"

The bubblegum popped as the girl in the doorway spoke. Bright purple hair and the sultry angle of the way her hips sway screamed, 'look at me.' It was hard not to. She's a beautiful girl, and she seemed to know it, but the angle she was pushing... I could have drained her dry if I wanted to. "Studying Cretan Hieroglyphs, it's a graduate project." I could feel the press of my fangs against the corner of my lip. A hunger settled into my stomach, blood would satiate me, but the consequences of eating a student would be dire. I put some space between myself and... "Excuse me, what was your name again?" The girl looked offended for a brief moment before stepping closer than she should again, "Juniper." I licked my lips again before I spoke, "Look, Juniper, I need to be working on this project, was there something you needed?"

"I was wondering..."

The smell of woodsmoke, sage, copper, and amber entered the room, my gaze drifted right away, and green-gold eyes met mine. Vera Hayes. Juniper was asking me out on a date, and the witch walked in. She had no idea what she was, Liliya had told me as much. My gaze drifted back to the purple-haired girl before me. She seemed... Sweet, but I wasn't interested. Besides, something about her told me, she really just wanted one thing. "Sorry, Juniper, I'm not interested in dating someone right now."

"Well, it doesn't have to be a date, I'm saying, we could just go to the backseat of a car. Look, I know I'm hot." I was taken aback a bit by that statement. While confidence in one's appearance was an attractive quality, when someone said they weren't interested, usually people got the hint. I heard the clearing of a throat and smiled at the blonde behind Juniper, "Liliya, did you need any help?" I spoke up, an uncomfortable feeling settling in my chest. Juniper glared at my sister before tossing her hair over her shoulder, "Fine, but just know, all this won't be on the table for long." She sulked away, while my sister stepped forward with a smirk on her lips. "Flirting with the college girls, I see."

I rolled my eyes, "I am not flirting. Anyway, what did you need, Sis?" Liliya shrugged, smoothing her white skirt slightly. "I just wanted to say that I'll be with Vera after we're done. We were going to meet a few of her friends at the mall if you want to tag along."

"Are you trying to set me up with her?"

"If I said yes, would you be mad? I mean, come on. Vera is gorgeous-"

I interrupted her, "And so was Juniper. As it is, Vera doesn't even know..."

"Vera doesn't know what?" The young woman in question was approaching the desk I sat behind. Green-gold eyes sparking some... Feeling within me that I wasn't used to. Her eyes; that look alone could set sail a thousand ships. So, this must be what Homer wrote about when he wrote of Helen, beautiful, but lost. "That I'm not really excited by the idea of going to the mall. You, I'd love to hang out with. Other people, though..." I offer her a confident smile, which she shyly returns, Davien's back in the game. Vera brushes her dark curls from her face before she nods, "It's fine, I completely understand. Maybe next time, anyway, Liliya, we should get to our seats."

My sister was dragged away, and I couldn't help but stare as Vera walked away. That smell that radiated off her. Woodsmoke and sage were a mark of a witch, but the copper and the amber was purely Vera. The witch who had no idea she was a witch. She was beautiful in a way I hadn't seen in a long time. Lust, it was what I was feeling for the first time in a long time. I hadn't been intimate with a woman in a while. Vera was a woman I was drawn to, it made sense the level of attraction I felt for her at this moment. I knew that lust would fade. Give it a week or two or three, and she'll turn into just Liliya's friend. I needed it to get to that point. It had to.

"Mr. Montagna, would you call the roll?"

Giles was late by five minutes. He shrugged off his coat, and I followed suit, picking up the clipboard and pen, I called the names of all the students and marked who was here and who was not, before going back to my father's book. When Giles handed the class the latest assignment and told them they could start it while they were here, I knew he wanted to talk to me. "Davien, what are you reading?" This was the second time someone asked me that question today and evidence of the way this question wore on me was as clear as day. Giles was sitting backward on the chair brow raised as he leaned forward. "Is that from Adrian's..."

"He wrote this one... Some... many years ago. I'm trying to find something."

"What are you looking for?" He moved closer, scrutinizing the hieroglyphs. "Witches, are you studying for The Council test?" I nearly choked on the air I didn't need to breathe. The alarm in my eyes must have set him straight. Why would I ever be involved with the monsters at The Council? He held up his hands in a gesture of sorry and then stood up again to introduce the next lecture and assign homework. I focused on my own work before Giles pulled up a chair beside me again. "So, what are you looking for? I might be able to help."

"You are one of my father's closest and oldest friends, but I don't really want this to get back to him. So, you are bound to secrecy right here, right now."

Giles looked offended, before he smiled, "Alright, on my honor as a demon, I promise, I won't tell Adrian. Now, what are you looking for?"

"You have a witch in your class, but she doesn't know it. I want to know why she hasn't sensed any of the supernatural beings around her. You know your other T.A., Talia is a werewolf, right?"

Giles dropped his pen before his eyes narrowed, "Class, dismissed early. I've got an important meeting to get to." The students all quickly stood up and wandered out the door, some looked disappointed, others looked excited. Juniper attempted to approach the desk I was at, but Giles ushered her to the door as quickly as he could. Liliya tried hanging back with Vera, but Giles made them leave the room as well. Once the class had left, he locked the door, turning to me, his blue eyes glowing with a red hue.

"You can't tell her what she is, Davien. Do you even know what you're playing with right now?"

"Oh, come off it! She is a grown woman, she has every right to know what she is!"

It was sudden, the force of a hand against my throat, the push of my taller frame to the wall. I never struggled against a demon before, but Giles was older than your average demon. He only got more durable with age. Demons were not the most stable of the creatures who inhabited this world. Nowhere near as bad as some vampire species, though. Demons were sometimes once humans who gave their souls to the gods, Giles was not that. He was a born demon. As a made vampire, I was always going to be weaker than him. "You can't tell her. Ask your father about this, ask him why, but do not go snooping in Witch business. If you bring The Vampire Council here, I'll murder you myself."

Giles let go of my neck, and I rubbed the spot where he choked me roughly. "Gods man, I'm old, older than you. Why do I need to go to Adrian about this? Why can't you just tell me?"

"You know exactly why! It's not my story to tell. Adrian will provide you with all the reasons you shouldn't mess with a witch. Especially one who doesn't know what she is! If you have some silly fantasy about saving her and falling in love, forget it now Davien. Witches are not to be messed with, as for Talia... I've known since I met her. I've got to go, but I'm telling you Davien, don't get involved."

It bothered me, more than it should have, I knew that. But, I had to know the answers. Giles grabbed his coat and left. I started to pack up my things when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Liliya's name flashed across the screen.

 _Liliya:_ Vera forgot her phone in class, can you bring it to us? We're heading to the mall.

Of course, she did. This had to be an excuse to get me there, but surprisingly, it was there. The black phone must have slipped down beneath the seat she was sitting in. Vera must have never even felt it slip from her pocket. I picked up the thin object before texting my sister back.

 _Davien:_ Got it on my way.

I grabbed my things and shot Sam a text about not meeting him for lunch. My twin was easy-going, he wouldn't worry about missing a simple lunch, but the routine was something he was used to. Unhinging that could sometimes lead to disaster, it was better that he knew. I exited the classroom only to nearly run into Juniper.

"Oh! You're still here, look, my offer still stands."

One of her hands was daintily placed on my helmet, the other on my arm, stepping a bit closer. "I want to make myself clear, you're hot, I'm hot, we should hook up at least once. I really think we'd have some chemistry."

"Juniper, you're a gorgeous girl, but I'm not interested. Sorry."

"Are you into Vera? I saw you two hanging out by her car a few weeks ago."

Startled, I looked at the purple-haired girl carefully before removing her hands from my body, "Well, Vera is my sister's friend, one. Two, I'm not interested in whatever petty rivalry you have with her. I'm definitely not a prize. Three, I'm not interested." Juniper tossed her hair over her shoulder before frowning. "Really, because if you two were to hook up, I'd have to tell Professor Evans, I'm pretty sure that student and T.A. relationships are frowned upon. Just saying, anyway. Later."

A part of me, the darker angry part, wanted to reach out and drain her dry right there. How dare she? Just because I wasn't interested in her, she would do something as awful as trying to get me in trouble? Instead, I squared my shoulders and quickly retorted, "I'd tell him how you came on to me first, and when I said I wasn't interested, threatened another student and myself. Look, you might be used to getting what you want, but when someone says they aren't interested, take a fucking hint."

I walked away, fists clenched tightly. In the parking lot, I climbed onto the back of my motorcycle. The engine roared to life, and I let that sound take away whatever anger I felt. The motor grumbled beneath me as I drove as fast as I could from the college campus. A drive that would usually take thirty minutes was shortened to ten. I was climbing off when I got a text from Liliya.

 _Liliya:_ We went to the food court. If you're here already, meet us there.

I didn't even bother texting her back; instead, I walked straight to the food court. The smells of the food and the other people would usually distract me, but Vera's intoxicating scent led me directly to her. I should have taken in what she was wearing earlier. A Nirvana tank-top and short shorts. It was the tail end of summer, and she was clearly taking full advantage of the weather. Her dark curls fell against her neck and shoulders in such a tantalizing way. I wanted to run my fingers through them, I knew she'd never let me do that.

As a vampire, we were unable to have relations with Witches. Something about vampires turning witches, and witches undoing the magic that held some vampires together. A stupid rule, made by an archaic council, about a hundred years ago, but going against them could get me or others I cared about killed. So even though she didn't know what she was, I couldn't get close to her. I approached the table, Liliya, Vera, and her other friend occupied. I slid Vera's phone into view, resting my helmet on my hip. "I think you forgot this in class." A smirk slid into place, the way her eyes widened then her chin lifted upward, made a surge of lust cloud my vision for a moment. "Davien, hey! I was just telling Anya about Professor Evans's class! Take a seat." She slid over on the bench a bit, giving me room to swing my legs over and sit with her, should I wish to do so.

"I wouldn't want to interrupt besides, I've got research I should be doing." I started to say, but it was Liliya who interrupted before Vera could even speak, "Let him go, he's got some project, I'm sure. Anyway, Anya, how did you get your internship?" I took in the other girl's appearance. Corporate clothes, but her hair was loose, brushing the tops of her shoulders, just barely. From the side, one could tell she was concealing a growing sidecut. She had already slipped off her heels in favor of flats. Just my sister's type of girl. From the distance, I stood from her, the scent of sage, evergreen, and woodsmoke, radiated off of her. Another witch? But this one, she knew. She eyed me closely, before softening a bit. "My dad's firm. It's really nothing special. Vera's the one who worked her ass off to get that library gig."

"Stop it, I didn't work that hard." Vera deflected, running a hand through her curls. "Besides, we're holding Davien up. Thank you for dropping my phone off, Davien. I really appreciate it."

I grinned before running a hand through my hair, "How else am I supposed to get your terrible Mythology ideals if you can't text me? I'll see you later."

I left Vera and my sister behind, shifting my helmet a bit and walking out of the mall. I needed to get home, I had to talk to my father. Heading toward home, I grinned when I noticed Sam's car in the driveway. My brother was home early. Parking in the gravel, I locked my motorcycle up and walked into the house. Our home looked like an average house on the outside, though on the inside, after walking through the enchantments in place by my father's favorite witch, we got to the real inside. It sprawled massive and broad looking half Greek Temple and half French Chateau, a mishmash of styles, but somehow, it worked together. I headed toward the library, my backpack slung against my back. The library was my father's haven away from his children. I knocked on the door before opening it.

 _'Lacrimosa'_ was playing in the background, my father was standing against the bookcase, running a finger along the spine. He was in a three-piece suit even though he didn't need to be. Black hair cropped short, he turned his gaze from the shelf to stare me down. "You know, you did not need to steal from me, _o gios mou."_ **My Son.** He called me that when I was in trouble. I pulled the book from my bag and passed it across the desk toward him. "Sorry, _Patéras_." The man before me could pass for an ancient Greek statue. His suntanned skin and glowing grey eyes. He was a creature built by the gods of old. "You've met a witch, I see. Beautiful mágissa's. They seduce with their blood and beauty. Are you seduced, Davien?"

I frowned, he's teasing, of course, but it's annoying, to say the least. "No, Adrian. I'm not interested in her. She's magical, but she doesn't know it. I want to know why. She deserves to know what she is. Especially if her magic decides to wake up." Adrian stared me down for a moment, before raising his brow slightly. "She doesn't know? That's strange. Witches keep to their own, they take pride in their magic. They don't hide."

"I know, I don't understand why. I wonder if there is more to it. That's why I was curious about her. Liliya has made her a friend, and Samuel thinks she's sweet."

"And you, Davien? What do you think of her?"

I stared at my father, shaking my head slightly. "Terrible Mythology opinions, beautiful, but I'm concerned about her loss of magic. She... Deserves more."

Adrian clicked his tongue before smirking, "And you think, you're that **_more_**?"

"I think I could tell her. Or should tell her."

I felt my back pushed against the wall again. **_Great_ ,** just what I needed. "Tell her, and you're dead. Davien... I can't let you do that." I felt my neck crack as my father pushed a bit rougher than he needed to be. He was trying to make his point, but still, he didn't need to nearly decapitate me. "Alright! Giles told me the same thing, I know, I know. Three strikes. Council and their stupidity. It's such a waste, though. She could be powerful." I rubbed my neck as my father let me go. "Power or no..." Long fingers brushed against the book I had stolen from him. Hands that were ancient and held secrets lifted the cover before closing it back and placing it on the shelf in a flash.

"That is none of our business."


	5. Chapter Four Vera - September Rains

Rain woke me up around five am. It was the first rain in the middle of September, I could already imagine the smell of petrichor outside. It was my favorite time of year, the cold nights and days, crisp leaves, and the strange apple tree that looked dead all year, finally providing fruit. The start of Autumn. To me, it was a perfect time. I stretched and rolled over in bed, trying to catch that last bit of sleep I so desperately needed when a soft whine outside my bedroom window startled me.

I sat up slowly, thinking I had to be dreaming, but the whine came again. This time followed by a tiny bark. A puppy? I never took a chance on anything, I had seen too many cop shows that started out this way. I got up, as I passed my brother's room, I grabbed the baseball bat that was leaning against his door frame. Heading outside in a robe and slippers, with a baseball bat in hand, I must have looked extra frightening to the poor little black puppy outside my window.

I knelt down to pick the dog up gently, "How did you get here?" I whispered, softly. It couldn't have been that old, it was a black lab puppy, with one gold eye and one green eye, a yellow stone was around its neck like a collar. It looked like an ordinary puppy that had been abandoned or lost. It was only when I heard it whine again did I turn to see my mom outside, with wide eyes.

"Mom, he was just outside my window, can we... Can we keep him?"

My mom simply nodded before she approached slowly, "Sure, at least until we find out if he has owners. You have to take care of him though. I'll go get him some food, toys, and your father will take him to the vet later to check for a chip. Do you want to name him?"

The name popped into my mind and left my lips before it was even a fully formed thought. "Cerby. Short for Cerberus." The little black dog in my arms licked my face at the name, and my mom hummed in response, "Fitting. Anyway, you might want to catch another hour of sleep or so before school. I'm going back to bed." She shivered even though it was a slightly warm night. I brought Cerby inside and set up space for him in my room. Instead of staying in that place, Cerby made his home on the edge of my bed. I fell into a light dreamlike sleep only to be woken up by Cerby growling at the corner of my room. Well, this would just be my life now, apparently.

I got dressed and checked my phone, a new message from Liliya flashed across the screen,

 _Liliya:_ Do you want to get breakfast with me? I can pick you up!

I quickly confirmed with her that I'd love that and walked downstairs, James was shoveling cereal into his mouth as quickly as he possibly could, "Hey! I'm going to be late if I don't leave now, sis!" I waved him off, "It's okay, Liliya and I are going to breakfast, since we have class an hour and a half from now, no use in me going as early as you today. See you later." He grinned before finishing his cereal and tossing his bowl into the sink. "Later."

Ten minutes later, Liliya pulled into our driveway. Her white sedan glinting in the sunlight. Her outfit matched, white sweater dress with red tights and dark brown boots. Her sunglasses fell down her nose slightly as she rolled down the window, "Hey, Vera! You look cute today, let's go get food before all the vegan pancakes you like are gone!" For the past few weeks, we had been getting together almost daily to work on our various homework assignments. It was easier to have a friend by your side. Anya would join us sometimes when her schedule allowed her to do so. I could tell from just looking at my best friend, that she was smitten with Liliya and vice versa. I was never very good at playing matchmaker, but I almost desperately wanted the two of them to be happy no matter what.

I slid into the car, fastening my seatbelt, and turned toward the blonde driving. "So, what's up? Breakfast is great, but there's really no need to rush." Liliya looked nervous, as she drove toward the closest cafe. She bit her lip before she said in one big rush, "I'm gay, and I think I have a crush on Anya." I blinked before grinning at her, running a hand through my hair, "Okay, so how can I help you with that?" Liliya's hand slipped on the gear shift. One minute we were driving along just fine, the next, we were nearly crashing into a stopped work truck. I felt the earth shift and placed my hands out almost instinctively. I felt something rise in my chest and then fall as quickly as it did. A spark. Somehow, we had turned successfully away from the truck and safely back on the road. "Are you okay, Vera?! Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Liliya pulled over and stared at me for a moment while I stared at my hands.

What was that feeling? It felt like fire flowing through my veins only to be met by a cold, sharp sting of ice. I shivered before looking at Liliya, "I'm fine, what about you? Okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to distract you." Liliya shook her head before taking a deep breath. "I should have just waited to tell you at breakfast. Anyway, we're here, let's just eat. Then somehow, from there, you'll help me win over Anya." I chuckled climbing out of the car, feeling my legs shake a bit from the adrenaline rush. "I don't think that's going to be hard, she's into you too. She's my best friend, I know when she's into somebody." We walked into the cafe and ordered food to go, it was best if we just got our food and headed to class at this point. It would be less nerve-racking that way.

Nibbling on a vegan chocolate chip muffin, I slid back in the car, Earl Grey tea in hand. Liliya had a similar order with a breakfast tea and a double chocolate chip muffin. She also snagged a croissant and black coffee for Davien. I was picking at the edge of the paper surrounding the muffin, when Liliya's voice broke through my fervor, "I've got to drop something off for Sam, would you bring Davien his breakfast, please?" The begging tone made me raise my eyes at her. Seriously? I had been avoiding him since he had dropped my phone off for me a few weeks before, it wasn't hard because he seemed to be doing the same thing. "Sure, I'll see you in class." Carrying both his coffee and my own items along, with my backpack, I headed toward the classroom, we would be occupying for the next two hours. In the corner surrounded by papers and books, Davien sat bent over the stack in front of him. He was bobbing his head along to whatever he was listening to. I heard the vague inklings of heavy guitar and drums. I knew he wouldn't hear me over it, so I walked up to him and pressed a hand against the top of his shoulder, trying to get his attention. He lifted his head before a smirk slid into place on his face, he pulled his headphones out of his ears, "Morning! Oh, you brought me breakfast? Thanks, I totally thought Liliya forgot."

"She didn't forget. We nearly got into an accident to get this, so savor it."

His eyes widened before he took his coffee and bag from my hands. Setting them to the side, he caught my wrist before I could step away from his desk. His thumb rubbed against the inside of my wrist, his pale skin contrasting against my own. "You're okay, though, yeah? I'd hate to think about you getting hurt for me." The way he said that it felt like much more than him just talking about his breakfast. His thumb brushed against an old scar from a bracelet cutting into my skin as a child. The star-shaped mark had never faded away. "Just be careful for me..."

The intimacy between us was palpable, I swallowed past my nerves before speaking again, "Liliya was the one driving, not me. I'm fine..." There was something intense in those grey-blue eyes of his, he was about to say something else, still brushing his fingertips along my wrist when the door opened and other students started walking in. I stepped away from him and he dropped my wrist as if he had been burned. I brought my things over to where Liliya and I usually sat. I blew out a bit of breath I hadn't realized I was holding. When I looked up, Davien's gaze was locked on me. His ever-present smirk fell away as he bit his lip then started to call roll the moment Professor Evans walked in. Professor Evans looked startled for a moment before he glanced around the classroom. "Alright, this next lecture is usually a fan favorite. Witches and their one of their patron goddesses, that we will be studying, Hecate. Let's just jump into it."

The lecture was interesting, I couldn't keep my eyes from the screen as our professor spoke of ancient witches from the beginning of time to the witches of the Salem Trials, to the modern interpretation of witches. He spoke of the witches and their coven's, and ultimately a council that would oversee the rituals. The sanctity of Samhain. Finally, he spoke of generational witches. A kind of magic that was passed down from mother to daughter. He had started to touch on blood magic when the door opening signaled that class was over.

I looked up from my notes. I had managed to fill 4 full pages in my notebook. Liliya leaned over until she could look at my notes, "Geez, you wrote so much! Are Witches going to be your final project?" The curiosity in her voice made me smile, I tilted my head before shrugging slightly, "Maybe. I'd have to do a ton of research, though."

"I can help with that, actually."

His voice thick with an emotion I didn't recognize, I looked up to stare at Davien's blue eyes. He spoke again, this time a bit uncertain in his approach. "I mean if you'd like my help..." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, and I couldn't stop the smile from curling up on my lips. "I'd love your help, Davien. Do you want to go to the library later today?" Liliya picked up her bag, "Okay, well, you two plan that. We should consider getting food before our next class, Vera." She was right, I grabbed my bag and shrugged my shoulder, "I'll meet you there, Liliya." Davien looked back over to his pile of work on the desk. "I'll text you later, so we can nail a time down, I've got to finish a few things for Professor Evans."

I left the classroom, feeling a hand slide around my right arm. It was Juniper, a soft smile curling up her lips, it would have been sweet if she was actually my friend. But the sickeningly sweet smile that curled up her lips made me shiver a bit. "We should have a chat, you know, girl to girl." I tried to tug my arm away but her nails dug in. "Are you and the Hot TA a thing? I mean, I won't tell anyone, but you guys are close, right?" It had been a month and a half since school started, and Juniper's crush on Davien clearly hadn't let up. "His sister is my friend, close isn't what I would call it. If we're anything, we're friends. Better than what I can say about you and me, Juniper, now let go." She pouted and let go of my arm, "I just wanted to know. I like him." I stared at her before speaking once more, "Why? Do you even know the first thing about Davien? Do you know him at all? You can't like a person just because of what they look like, we're not in high school anymore. Juniper, this isn't a competition. You shouldn't be jealous of anything, especially when you don't even know Davien at all. Just grow up."

The words escaped my lips faster than I could even stop them. My voice grew in pitch as I spoke. I placed a hand over my lips before taking a step away from Juniper. "I've got to go now, bye." I raced down the hallway and over to the campus cafe. I leaned against the wall before the entrance, taking a deep breath. "Shit." That was harsh, but perhaps it was necessary. Juniper had always been a thorn in my side, at least this way, she'd know exactly what I thought of this whole competition and jealousy thing. I pressed my hand against my heart, trying to get it to slow down, and my breath to catch in my lungs again.

A hand came up and gently fell on my shoulder. Blue-grey eyes came into focus, the only reason I knew it wasn't Davien was because of the length of his hair. Sam? He offered a shy smile before drawing his hand back, "Hey, Vera. I kinda heard you yelling outside my classroom, or I thought it was you anyway. You okay?" His tone was so different from his brother, even though they were twins. It should be expected though, James and I were as different as night and day. I nodded before speaking again, "I just told off this girl who has a crush on your brother and has been a bitch to me since we were kids, so I'm a bit..."

He offered me his arm before tugging me away from the wall, "Shaken, it's okay. You know, Davi can defend himself. He's got a lot of girls clambering after him. I'm sure he'd appreciate your defense of him, though." Sam led me to a cafe table in the corner and set his things down across from me. "He's got a bit of a thing for someone though, he says she's special." My immediate reaction was my stomach to twist in knots, an "Oh?" Escaped my lips, before I could stop it. I quirked my lips into a smile, of course, he liked someone. It made perfect sense. I barely knew Davien. In the month and a half I had been back at college, even though I saw him every day, I barely spoke with him outside of class. I had done that on purpose. Liliya was my best friend at school now, but that was because she made the effort. When I met Sam's eyes, he looked like he was about to say something when my cell phone went off, and a text message flashed across my screen.

Speaking of the devil, it was Davien.

 _Davien:_ Hey, meet me at my bike, please?

"I've got to go, Sam. Uh, thanks." Sam's features softened, before he nodded, "No problem, Vera. If you ever need to talk, feel free to come to me. I know I'm not Liliya, but I like to think that we're friends too." I nodded before walking out to the parking lot. Leaning against his bike, one leg propped on the leather seat, Davien seemed to be watching me closely.

"What are you looking at?"

"Get on, I've got to go home for a moment, then we can head to the library, I know Liliya drove you today, and it's not a car, but, you trust me, yeah?" He was handing me the helmet and tying his hair back into a ponytail. He didn't answer my question, but I did trust him. Grabbing the helmet, I fit it to my head, then looked up at him as he climbed onto the large motorcycle. "Where is yours?"

He glanced back at me for a moment before starting his bike, "You're wearing it. Trust me?" I slid on to the bike behind him. This had to be some fucked up trust exercise with him. Either way, I'd pass it. Though I was uncertain about the action, I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on tightly. He adjusted my grip on his body with a cough, before glancing back at me again, "Hold on."

Davien sped out of the parking lot, my body plastered to his back. His back was a solid steel wall of muscle. I could feel every fiber of it though the t-shirt and faux leather jacket combo I had decided to wear today. It was distracting. Almost as distracting as the thick musky scent that drifted from his neck and hair. This was as close as I had ever been to him. A rather large part of me wanted to savor the moment. The other part of me thought myself a hypocrite. Hadn't I just yelled at Juniper for this thought process? There was a difference though, he had invited me on the back of his motorcycle. I wasn't trying to push for affection or attention that wasn't there. Right? My mind drifted back to my conversation with Sam. Davien liked someone. Who?

We got to his house about fifteen minutes later, I realized now that he didn't live that far away from me. Maybe a few blocks. He put the kickstand down as he came to a stop, turning off the engine. "You can let go now, Vera." There was an almost pained groan from his lips as he stood. "I'll be right back. Five minutes tops." I climbed off the back, my legs feeling a little like jello from how tight they had been around the vehicle.

He came back out, exactly five minutes later, his hair looked a bit messed up, and his expression was a bit darker than it had been before. He pulled out another helmet from behind his back, before smirking at me, "I figured you wanted me to put this on, so I found my spare. Also, got some stuff to work on while we're in the library." He fixed his ponytail, lowering it to the nape of his neck and putting on his helmet. "Let's go." I climbed on the back of the bike behind him. He drove away from his house and turned in the direction of The Eden Public Library.

The red brick building came into view as Davien stopped his motorcycle in a parking stall. He climbed off the bike and then turned to me, taking off his helmet and shaking his hair free from the ponytail it was in. "Need help?" His voice was husky in a way I hadn't expected. I looked up at him and he reached under my chin, unbuckling the helmet on my head. His cold rings grazed my neck and his fingers brushed against the curls that had been flattened down by the object now in his hands. "Shit, I ruined your hair. I'm sorry. Safety first, though, yeah?" He set the helmet down before caressing my curls again. He's gentle in his touch and approach, yet, I can't help but jump. I stepped away from him for a moment. "Yeah. Safety first. Thank you by the way for helping me. If I do decide to pick Witches for the project, having help from someone who knows about them is great."

"You have a couple of weeks to decide, but I think you'd do well with witches. As long as it's not _Persephone_." He's teasing as we walk into the library and head toward a soundproof study room. With one small window at the door, no one could ever really see what was going on in the study rooms. They were usually meant for tutoring with library staff. As an intern, no one ever minded when I used them. This was like my home away from home. I was turning to talk sternly at him about Persephone when he closed and locked the door behind him. "Persephone is the goddess of spring, but her name means bringer of death, stop belittling her role." I dropped my bag and things rather unceremoniously on the table, pressing my hands against the edge of it and leaning toward him slightly.

Davien's eyes went wide before he blew out a soft breath and went over to the other side of the table. "I'm not like I said, I prefer her husband more in the grand scheme of things." He took off his jacket, and it's the first time, in the month and a half that I've known him, that I got to really look at his tattoos. The one on his right arm that stands out is the one of a Hellenistic rendition of Hades and Cerberus. "Well, I can tell because you have Hades tattooed on your arm." The smirk that found its way onto his lips was enough to make any girl's knees weak. "You like it?" I reached for my water bottle in my bag and took a quick drink of that. "Let's get to some work done, please?"

I tried to not look up at him as I pulled out my notes and started my laptop up. I was working away on transferring the paper notes to my computer when Davien's voice startled me. "Found it. I'm sure Evans didn't speak of this. The Malleus Maleficarum, the main writer Heinrich Kramer, you know he wrote that because he was obsessed with a woman accused of witchcraft? It's the main reason the pamphlet was written in the first place. His obsession could be akin to madness. He's the main reason for The Salem Witch Trials." He seemed to be proud of himself, I didn't have the heart to say that I had already found that as well. I just added what he had said, before nodding. "Thanks, what do you know about Heritage Witches? The more I look into them, the more lost I become." Davien looked up at me before taking a soft breath, "Not too much. If I'm honest, I only know the basics." He pushed away from the table for a moment. His fingers gripping the edge of it as if to stop himself from something. "I'll go look for some books for you, though." He stood and left the room quicker than I could stop him. He was acting strange. Well, stranger than usual. I continued working on my stuff, until I couldn't anymore and started to put my notes away when Davien came back, setting a book in front of me. "I found something. It's not much, but..."

I took the book from him, looking down at the front cover, " **A History of Witches** written by Mae Moses. Hm, that's funny." I looked up at Davien tilting my head slightly, "She has the same last name as my grandma. Thanks, I'll take a look at this one." He swallowed before sitting back across from me, "No problem." His long frame moved closer to the table. I stretched for a moment, my leg brushing his from across the table. He stared at me, and for some reason, the pit of my stomach said run. My phone broke our staring contest.

 _Mom:_ Hey, are you coming home for dinner?

I checked the time and looked up at Davien, "Hey, we should head home, it's almost dinner time at my place. You don't... You don't happen to want any since you went to all this trouble taking me here, helping me, and such." Davien's voice had that husky quality to it that I liked again, "No, but I'll drop you off. I'm ready when you are." I gathered my things, taking the book to go check it out and met him at the door. We walked out to his motorcycle in silence, climbing on the back of it behind him, I sensed that our dynamic had changed. When we stopped in front of my house, he didn't take off his helmet but helped me with mine, caressing my hair once more, before smiling. "Catch you later, Vera." I was about to say something else when he sped off.

It was then I realized I hadn't even told him where I lived.


End file.
